The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod

Author:Ken MacLeod
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

12

The Cities of the Pretty

THERE ACTUALLY WAS a wall called the Stonewall Dykes, but it was more to prevent people from entering unwittingly than to keep anyone out—or in. In the bad old days of the Panic it had had a more serious function, but now it was just a bit of retrovirus chic—isolation camp. The real protection of the area—the Gay Ghetto, the Pink Polity, the Queer Quarter—was in the strong, gentle, capable hands of a militia called the Rough Traders.

The truck pulled off the clearway and down a side street, past a portion of the wall on which someone had written “Sodom today—Gomorrah the World!,” and they were in. Just another street, except suddenly there were no women. A bit further and there were no men; further yet and there were both, but you couldn’t tell which was which, all gaudy and glad-ragged and gay.

“What’s the difference between this sort of thing and what’s outside?”

“None at all, that’s the point. There’s nowt so queer as folks, as they say up North—”

“Oh shut up. That’s not what I meant. What’s the difference between these specialized neighborhoods, or whatever you call them, and the mini-states?”

“No wars.”

“It can’t be that simple.”

“Looks like it can.”

“The future and it works, huh?”

Kohn laughed. “It keeps people like me in work. In my future society we’d be out of a job. No wars over territory and no fights over property.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Kohn gave directions for a few more turnings. They came to a halt in a car park in front of a large housing estate built as a single block: four sides around a courtyard, the side in front of them having an opening about three meters high and five wide. Through it they could see a lawn and flowerbeds. All the windows in all eight stories of the block had curtains of ruched peach satin in front of other curtains of frilled net. Another truck and some small vehicles and bicycles stood unattended in the car park.

A man came out of the entrance and walked up briskly. He wore a plain brown loose-fitting smock and trousers and had short blond hair. He stood for a moment at the front of the truck and then stepped up to the door beside Kohn.

Kohn lowered the window. He decided for the moment, to stick with the ostensible reason for their visit. “Hi,” he said. “I’m the security adviser—”

“Mr. Kohn? Ah, hello. My name’s Stuart Anderson. Your agency told us to expect you. I’ll be asking you in in a moment, but first I’d like a word with the lady.”

Janis leaned across. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but would you mind waiting while your companion looks around? No offense intended—it’s just the rule of the community. The only women allowed in are those who live here or are associated with us, and you…” He smiled regretfully like a waiter telling you something is off tonight. “Refreshments will be brought out to you if you wish, or you may take a walk in the area.

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